Fiber optic connectors are utilized to couple optical radiation from an incoming optical fiber to an outgoing optical fiber with the highest possible coupling efficiency. Ideally, the coupling efficiency does not change with time. An unchanged coupling efficiency means that if a constant amplitude light signal is transmitted to the connector via the incoming optical fiber, a constant amplitude light signal, reduced in amplitude only by the losses produced during transmission of the signal through the connector itself, will be transmitted away from the connector via the outgoing fiber.
However, in many applications, including military applications, a fiber optic connector will be subjected to an environmental stress. Such as, vibrations or shock. The environmental stress generally causes fluctuations in the optical power transmitted through the connector.
The fluctuations in transmitted optical power may be characterized utilizing two parameters, amplitude and duration. For example, a particular type of fluctuation may define a discontinuity event in which the optical power transmitted by a connector exceeds a high power limit or falls below a low power limit for a specified time duration. For example, a discontinuity event may be defined by a fluctuation of optical power through a fiber optic connector in which the transmitted power deviates from a reference power level by at least 0.5 dB for at least 1 second.
It is important to be able to characterize the performance of various fiber optic connectors when they are subjected to various types of environmental stresses. One way of characterizing a fiber optic connector is to determine whether particular types of discontinuity events, suitably defined in terms of amplitude and duration, occur in the presence of certain environmental stresses. For example, in military applications, only a relatively small number of suitably defined discontinuity events can be tolerated in a fiber optic connector. A need exists for examination of a connector for detection of discontinuity events, thereby to determine if the connector is suitable for military applications.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for detecting suitably defined discontinuity events when a fiber optic connector is subjected to environmental stress.